Two friends helping in search stuck in Amritsar; father says lockdown double- edged sword that will make spotting him easier but will make getting food, water difficult

Vinod Gupta with a missing poster of Tarun. FILE PICS

Nearly six months after he went missing, 16- year- old Tarun Gupta's parents have been forced to suspend their search amid the 21- day Coronavirus lockdown.

Last week, Vinod Gupta once again went on the Pune- Nasik- Mumbai circuit to look for Tarun. While two of his friends headed towards Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. "They are stuck in Amritsar because of the lockdown," said Gupta. " Because of Coronavirus, all shops and eateries are shut. What will my son eat or drink? Earlier people would help him with food and water. It might be easier to spot him since roads and public spaces are empty. But we cannot venture out."

"Everyone is at home with their respective families, but I am away from my son. All I want is for him to come back home. On top of all this, the police are beating up people who are stepping out on the roads," Vinod said. Vinod will be creating a Facebook page dedicated to search for Tarun. "Some NGO could have picked him up from somewhere. Perhaps they will notice my message on social media," he said.

Tarun, an autistic teen, got swept away in a rally near his Colaba home on October 1. In addition to various security agencies, Vinod has taken help from his friends and hired a detective to look for him.

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